Resentment is brewing among the ex-servicemen, deployed on the premises of Utkal University, as salary has not been paid to them for the last two months.
A retired Colonel as chief security officer, three junior commanding officers and 39 ex-servicemen in different ranks were engaged by the University in June to look into security arrangements on the campus.
Even as security provisions have been streamlined by ex-servicemen, they are yet to get their salary. Although the placement officer of the ex-servicemen had written to Vice-Chancellor of the University Prasant Kumar Sahoo about payment of the salary, which amounts to ` seven lakh for two months, twice in the past, no action has been taken yet.
Sources alleged that negligence on the part of the VC has delayed payment of salary. “We are told that the VC is yet to clear the file pertaining to our salary for unknown reasons,” said an ex-serviceman, requesting anonymity.
The decision to engage ex-servicemen to maintain an effective security cover on the campus, which has witnessed unrestricted entry of anti-socials and students unrest, was taken at the syndicate meeting in February.
In 2010, the University authorities had engaged 64 private security guards to man the campus. However, these guards miserably failed in controlling violence while the private security agency through which they were hired was not even a registered one. As the term of the agency expired in June, the University decided to rope in ex-servicemen.
While 46 ex-servicemen were hired, seven quit the job due to delay in payment of salary.
While the security guards were paid Rs 3,000 per month, the ex-servicemen had been assured of higher remuneration by the University. The retired Colonel, who is the chief security officer, was promised a monthly pay of Rs 70,000, sources said.
The ex-servicemen said though they have been discharging their duties without fail, the University authorities’ attitude towards them is far from satisfactory.
While they demanded their salaries to be released at the earliest, the Vice-Chancellor refused to comment on the issue.